Decision details

In April 2015 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) advised about the next round of European Social Fund (ESF) under the Youth Employment Initiative.

Projects are to support 15-29 year olds who are at risk of not engaging in education, employment or training to progress into employment. To qualify for funding the projects had to cover the whole of the Tees Valley. The five local authorities put in a partnership bid along with a number of employability and training organisations, with Hartlepool BC as the lead accountable body.

On 17 February 2016 it was confirmed that subject to contract and completion of pre-contract conditions the bid had been successful. The project will run until 31 July 2018.

The bid will bring in £14,469,762 of funds to the Tees Valley with a match of £4,823,254 (25%), a total of £19,293,016. Darlington’s share of the programme will be £520,000, made up of £390,000 of YEI/ESF funding, £50,000 match from County Durham Community Foundation (CDCF) and a further £80,000 match from DBC split equally between Children, Families and Learning and Economic Growth Group

The DWP require a Risk Share Agreement to be in place. The purpose of this agreement is to define and regulate how the Parties share any potential financial risk that arises through the DWP exercising their right of clawback pursuant to the DWP Contract.

This is required to be signed off before the end of March 2016

Note – the report to Cabinet of 5 April 2016 sets out the full details and includes a a copy of the Risk Share Agreement as an Appendix

To sign off the Risk Share Agreement.
Colleagues in Hartlepool Borough Council have advised that the risk share agreement must be in place before they could sign off the agreement with the DWP.

None.